AI-generated image
Quimbombó con bolitas de plátano
Okra stew with plantain dumplings
Quimbombó: Cuban okra stew with green-plantain dumplings (meat-free)
Quimbombó is one of the African-rooted dishes of central Cuba: okra stewed in a tomato sofrito and dotted with little dumplings of mashed green plantain, served over white rice. Country cooks often add pork or chicken; this version is meat-free, with a little smoked paprika for depth. The mistake most people make is stirring okra hard as it cooks, which turns it slimy, so stir gently and add a squeeze of lime early to keep it in check. Chef's tip: roll the plantain balls with wet hands and drop them in only for the last 10 minutes, so they hold together and stay tender.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the stew
- 1 ⅛ lb okratrimmed, cut into 2 cm pieces
- 1 limejuiced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 green pepperchopped
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 14 oz chopped tomatoes
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 tsp saltto taste
For the plantain dumplings
- 2 green plantainspeeled, cut into chunks
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 garlic clovecrushed
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Boil 2 green plantains in salted water for 20 minutes, until a knife goes in easily. Drain and mash until smooth with ½ tsp salt and 1 garlic clove. With wet hands, roll into 16 small balls.
25 minStep 3: Meanwhile, warm 3 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and soften 1 onion and 1 green pepper for 7 minutes. Add 4 garlic cloves, ½ tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp smoked paprika for 1 minute.
8 minStep 4: Add 14 oz chopped tomatoes, 1 ¾ cups water, 1 tsp salt and the okra with its juice. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring as little as possible, until the okra is tender and the sauce has thickened.
15 minStep 5: Lower the plantain balls into the stew and simmer for 10 minutes, shaking the pan rather than stirring, until they are heated through and the sauce coats them. Add the rest of ½ lime and serve over rice.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does quimbombó con bolitas de plátano take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodehVegetables in coconut milk
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Indonesian
Chana masala
A North Indian staple that comes together from the store cupboard. Toasted cumin, slow-softened onion and a good spoonful of garam masala give tinned chickpeas real depth. Serve with rice, naan or a stack of warm rotis.
Indian
Bagara bainganBaby aubergines in peanut sesame sauce
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.